These days there is not only choice about what sort of games we want to play, but also where we want to play those games. “Gamers” are no longer designated to just two locations, the couch (console gamers) or the PC. Now we can play games on our tablets, phones, and even our watches. How do you know what game you want to play? How do you decide what to try out next?

A lot of it comes from word of mouth. Other games we learn about on various platforms like the AppStore or Google Play. Sometimes you stumble into a hidden gem while exploring the various options available. A lot of games are free to play, making it easy to “try before you buy” and the only thing you have to invest from the outset is a bit of your time.

RTS, (known as real time strategy games) have only grown in popularity as gaming has become mainstream. In one such game you play as Lord of Stormfall and you have to raise your castle by gathering resources. As you grow stronger in power, you battle other rivals and defeat them. You can spend real life money on sapphires to purchase in-game perks like boosting resource production. There are even tutorials and guides so that you don’t get lost along the way, and a helpful wiki. You learn how to be flexible with your resources so that you’re able to adapt to each of the situations on the battlefield. In this way your army continues to evolve, and that’s how you rise in power.

When you start the tutorial you’re instantly brought into the game by the voice over explaining the basics through the tutorial. You’re told to start farming so that you can produce food for your army, and as you complete each task you’ll earn sapphires and other resources like gold and iron. Exploring around as your farm and mine are being built will show you that there are also daily login rewards. After you’ve got a few buildings you’ll be headed to your first battle, and if you’ve been paying attention to the tutorial you’ll emerge victorious! If not, don’t worry, you can keep building up your castle and try again.

The game has a lot to it and was quite a bit more involved than what I was expecting, which was a fantastic surprise. If you’re interested in trying it out or just want more information, you can find it here.